36:2 Jehoahaz [was] twenty and three years old when he began to
reign, and he reigned three a months in Jerusalem.
(a) Three months after the death of Josiah, Necho came to
Jerusalem, and so the plagues began, which Huldah and
the prophets forewarned would come on Jerusalem.
36:3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and
condemned the land in an b hundred talents of silver and
a talent of gold.
(b) To pay this as a yearly tribute.
36:5 Jehoiakim [was] twenty and five years old when he began to
reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did
[that which was] c evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
(c) Because he and the people did not turn to God by his
first plague, he brought a new one on him, and at
length rooted them out.
36:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations
which he did, and d that which was found in him, behold,
they [are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and
Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
(d) He means superstitious marks which were found on his
body when he was dead, which declared how deeply
idolatry was rooted in his heart, seeing he bore the
marks in his flesh.
36:9 Jehoiachin [was] e eight years old when he began to
reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in
Jerusalem: and he did [that which was] evil in the sight of
the LORD.
(e) That is, he began his reign at eight years old, and
reigned ten years when his father was alive, and after
his father's death, which was in his eighteenth year,
he reigned alone three months and ten days.
36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his
messengers, f rising up betimes, and sending; because he
had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his
words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the
LORD arose against his people, till [there was] no g
remedy.
(g) Till God could no longer allow their sins, but must
punish them.
36:17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees,
who slew their young men with the sword h in the house
of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man
or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he i
gave [them] all into his hand.
(h) Where they fled, thinking to have been saved for the
holiness of it.
(i) Which is not because God approves him, who yet is the
minister of his justice, but because God would by his
just judgment punish this people: for this king was
led with ambition and vain glory, to which were joined
fury and cruelty: therefore his work was condemnable,
even though it was just and holy on God's part, who
used this wicked instrument to declare his justice.
36:20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away
to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons
until the reign of the kingdom of k Persia:
(k) When Gyrus king of Persia had made the Babylonians
subject.
36:21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the l mouth of
Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: [for]
as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil
threescore and ten years.
(l) Who threatened the vengeance of God and 70 years
captivity, which he called the sabbaths or rest of the
land, (Jer 25:11).
36:22 Now in the m first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that
the word of the LORD [spoken] by the mouth of Jeremiah
might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of
Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation
throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing,
saying,
(m) In the first year that he reigned over the Chaldeans,
(Ezr 1:1).
36:23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the
earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath
n charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which
[is] in Judah. Who [is there] among you of all his people?
The LORD his God [be] with him, and let him go up.
(n) God had so forewarned by his prophet over 100 years
before Cyrus was born, (Isa 44:28) that Jerusalem
and the temple would be rebuilt by Cyrus his
anointed: so called because God used his service for
a time to deliver his Church.
